US subsidiary of Manchester Airports Group to build America's first 'Escape Lounge'

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns Manchester and Stansted airports, has announced that its US subsidiary has won a 10-year contract to build a £1.3m lounge at a facility in Minnesota.

The deal will see M.A.G - USA design, construct and run a new common-use lounge area at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP), which is owned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

Over $2m (approximately £1.3m) will be invested in the 5,000 sq ft ‘Escape Lounge’, which is set to open in the airport’s Terminal 1-Lindbergh before the end of the year.

The CEO and president of M.A.G - USA, Rosemarie Andolino, said: “We are very excited about the launch of our first Escape Lounge in the USA and to partner with Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport.

“The Escape Lounge at MSP will be our flagship lounge and will provide the airport’s passengers with an opportunity to begin their travel in the most enjoyable and relaxing manner possible.”

She added: “Common-use lounges are a relatively new product in the North American market. We are confident the Escape Lounge product will prove popular with airports that look to broaden their passenger offerings.”

MAG presently operates five Escape Lounges over its four airports in the UK, serving around 500k passengers every year. The lounge at MSP will feature contemporary furnishings, free WiFi and complimentary food and drinks.

MAG’s group chief executive, Charlie Cornish, said: “I am delighted Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has chosen M.A.G - USA and its Escape Lounge product. We are confident that, together, we will deliver an exciting new dimension to MSP’s already strong and innovative passenger amenities.

“MAG’s expertise is drawn from its running of four U.K airports, all of which have been transformed under our ownership from both an operational and financial perspective.

Charlie continued: “I am confident M.A.G – USA has a unique offering for the North American market.

“The combination of our expertise and our unique ownership structure enables us to work closely with both public and private investors to deliver airports that truly serve the regions in which they operate.”